All Barber had to do was run out of bounds!

by Grady90 on Dec 6, 2009 10:21 PM CST

Wondering who else is sharing my opinion about this. This enraged me the minute it happened. I may be a little sketchy with the numbers, but I'll write it as best as I can remember.

On the way to a scoring drive, we're well into the final two minutes of the first half, Barber has the ball, gets the first down, and has a clear way to the sidelines. He gets out of bounds, the clock stops, new play.

Instead, he turns to his left and keeps going. Fumble. Momentum swing.

Now, I know running out of bounds isn't Marion the Barbarian's style, but really, why waste a time out (though I can't remember if the Cowboys had any left or not, but if they didn't, it was even more of a questionable decision!)? The first down has been had, just run it out of bounds to stop the clock!

Even if Barber usually lowers his head and uses it as a battering ram, I feel taking it out of bounds was just the responsible thing to do!

Yes? No? Maybe?

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Dear Grady 90

You are correct in asking questions like this. Every time we play Philly or NYG, there is always alot of swiping and hitting to try and cause fumbles, moreso than when we play other teams, and that is why ball control should be preached until it’s a dead horse.

I don’t blame Barber for trying, but I don’t believe him to be an effective RB in the starter role that Garrett uses him in. Tashard should be used. Felix hasn’t played that well against the Giants either to be honest. Tashard seems to be a forgotten man by Garrett, and the offense is still to blame for this loss too. When we were up 10 to nothing, didn’t you get the feeling, or was i alone? We should have already been up 17 or 21 to nothing? That’s the feeling I got. Barber at the beginning of the game, and heavily throughout the game, I fear, is a mistake by Garrett. We need more speed, and juking ability. Barber seems to have lost a step, and doesn’t have the power he used to…

"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"

by DallasPalace on Dec 6, 2009 10:41 PM CST reply actions

I don't remember him having a clear lane to the sideline

But he committed the cardinal sin for RB’s by fumbling, that’s for sure. That’s 2 key fumbles in the last 3 games. Not good.

I agree that was a huge momentum shift. Instead of going in up 10-7 or more at the half, the Midgets took advantage of the turnover and Dallas goes in down by 4 pts. despite outplaying NY.

You can't stop Patrick Crayton, you can only hope to contain him.

by APerfectStar on Dec 6, 2009 11:41 PM CST reply actions

this game was very much like the playoff game

except the giants had big plays in the second half that blew it open.

by foyesboys on Dec 6, 2009 11:46 PM CST up reply actions

They both had 1 thing in common

there was no solid establishment of the running game. Even short 3 yard runs would have been great, but we didn’t even get that. Running between the tackles is important to do against the Giants. Once you establish that and send a message to they’re defense that you are committed to affecting them that way, it will all fall apart for them.

That’s why I’ve been saying what I’ve been saying for the longest time Foyesboys- we don’t have the offensive line to pass block well, and we don’t use Tashard to run between the tackles the way he can enough. He did it last year against the best defenses. We need an all-purpose back like that to draw the defenses we will face, not the situational nature of our run plays. Going to a single back is an advantage in the case of boosting this offense from mediocrity. I am not saying we abandon our pass in favor of more run.

"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"

by DallasPalace on Dec 7, 2009 10:35 AM CST up reply actions

the playoff game had that?

no. In fact, we ran all over them far more effectively than any game i can remember.

I would argue just the opposite – the only thing our line can do sufficiently well is pass block. We havent had a good running game against a real defense since week 2. We’ve had about 6 really good rushing performances inthe last 2 years.There just aren’t holes.

I agree Choice needs to get a couple more carries, but the results aren’t suddenly going to get infinitely better. I think.

by foyesboys on Dec 7, 2009 3:49 PM CST up reply actions

"In fact, we ran all over them far more effectively than any game i can remember."

You don’t remember Week 2 from this season?

by Damnsammit on Dec 8, 2009 9:22 AM CST up reply actions

I thought he could've gotten 10 more yards or so

he didn’t make the wrong decision, he just needs to hold onto the freaking ball.

by foyesboys on Dec 6, 2009 11:46 PM CST reply actions

Barber wasn't close to the sideline

and he had Leonard Davis blocking out on that play. He was right to cut inside of Bigg.

He simply didn’t take care of the football.

by Rafael Vela on Dec 7, 2009 12:01 AM CST reply actions

Indeed

When I saw that play unfolding, I thought there was a huge gain on the way. My ear-to-ear grin turned to chagrin and disgust within a millisecond, though. Bah. This was that kind of game.

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by Conjunction on Dec 7, 2009 12:27 AM CST up reply actions

Hm

I remember seeing him with a Giant-less path to the sidelines. During the play I assumed that’s where he was going.

2009 Dallas Cowboys: 10-6
2009 New York Jets: not 11-5 :(
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25

by Grady90 on Dec 7, 2009 7:35 AM CST up reply actions

Yep

Crazy on both of his recent fumbles, the guy the OL was supposed to block(and missed) caused the fumble.

Both Barber’s fault, just found it interesting.

"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
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by Wmillion on Dec 7, 2009 5:44 PM CST up reply actions

1:30 on the highlights

Specifically, the one on the front page. If you watch it from there you can clearly see Barber has the easy route to the sideline because the few Giants in front of him were being blocked. There was a minute and twelve seconds left in the half.

Just saying, while it may not be his style, it would be the responsible thing to stop the clock, especially since they weren’t even over the 50 yard line. Ball protection and watching the clock shouldn’t be preached to just Romo.

2009 Dallas Cowboys: 10-6
2009 New York Jets: not 11-5 :(
2009-2010 Dallas Mavericks: 57-25

by Grady90 on Dec 8, 2009 8:36 AM CST up reply actions

That play was the turning point in the game

IMO, even though NYG just scored we were starting to drive again and it felt to me like we were going to score again wiping the rest of their hopes, but then Barber coughs it up and the atmosphere changed, it didn’t have the feeling like they were catching us anymore, even before the actually went ahead

"We play to win the game" - Herm Edwards

by nicholas.rodriguez on Dec 7, 2009 12:43 AM CST reply actions

yep

i felt the same way.

3 or so plays that all went the giants game made all the difference in this game. Barber fumble, jacobs run, punt return, BAM 17 points.

by foyesboys on Dec 7, 2009 3:09 AM CST up reply actions

It might have been different had it been just 17

those three plays turned into 21 points.

by Rafael Vela on Dec 7, 2009 10:22 AM CST up reply actions

woops you

by foyesboys on Dec 7, 2009 3:49 PM CST up reply actions

you're right*

by foyesboys on Dec 7, 2009 3:50 PM CST up reply actions

Hmm..

looked to me like barber had room to cut inside or take it to the sidelines. BUT i wouldve liked to see him cut to the sidelines, lower his shoulder and make a defender pay before getting out of bounds and stopping the clock.

p.s. not enough Razorback! lol

by howboutdemcowboyz on Dec 7, 2009 3:16 AM CST reply actions

L Davis whiffed on blocking the first defender

who made the strip to cause the fumble. Never understood why an O lineman in space doesn’t hit the closest guy to him, but that’s what Bigg did

Always be more than you appear and never appear to be more than you are

by tdships on Dec 7, 2009 9:15 AM CST reply actions

Bigg may have, but that still doesn't...

explain how Barber doesn’t dish out the punishment anymore to would be tacklers. Te even have a swiping arm strip the ball from him, of all people, show that he has lost something.
I believe he has lost a step with his speed also. He already wasn’t a speed burner.

Even if Barber fell down, he had already gained 10 yards, which is fine! Anything but the turnover! The turnovers always kill us when we play the Giants! I think he should be benched personally, but do i think Garrett will handle a running offense situation like this correctly? (Nada).

Just think of how hardcore Jimmy Johnson was about RB’s that fumble- it isn’t out of the realm of reason that maybe Barber should see some bench time. Maybe it will re-dedicate him to get back that edge he used to have.

But i don’t see these coaches doing it. Rememebr hearing this week that Osi was demoted? At least the Giants coaches know how to motivate players (even veteran players) that are not performing. What was the result? Osi played great in the game. Why can’t our coaches do the same? Barber fumbled in the Washington game too. Our run offense being mismanaged by Garrett? Perish the thought!

"Amongst the enemy's Lair, there will always be a DallasPalace!"

by DallasPalace on Dec 7, 2009 7:23 PM CST up reply actions

I don't want Barber running out of bounds

but I do want him to own the football and take care of it. He’s not producing enough to warrant giving him the ball if he has fumble-itis…time to give his carries to Choice and Felix. That’s one position we can afford to send a message and bench a player.

by Kansas Cowboy on Dec 7, 2009 9:33 PM CST reply actions